The Central Government had introduced the National Pension System (NPS) with effect from January 1, 2004 (except for armed forces). Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), the regulatory body for NPS, has appointed NSDL as Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) for National Pension System. CRA is the first of its kind venture in India which is carrying out the functions of Record Keeping, Administration and Customer Service for all subscribers under NPS. CRA shall issue a Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) to each subscriber and maintain database of each Permanent Retirement Account along with recording transactions relating to each PRAN.

In NPS, a government employee contributes towards pension from monthly salary along with matching contribution from the employer. The funds are then invested in earmarked investment schemes through Pension Fund Managers.